Apparatus for measuring or indicating the efficiency of steam-condensers.



A. E. L. SCANES & K. BAUMANN.

APPARATUS FOR MEAS-URING 0R INDICATING THE EFFICIENCY 0F STEAM CONDENSERS.

y APPLICATION flLED NOV. 24. |914. v

LTLQQ. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESSES; INVENTORS:

' l BY HIS ATTORNEY IN FACT.

CDLUMBIA PLANouR/wn co.,\vAsmNGToN, u. c.

TINTWT STATE@ PATENT TTTE.

ARTI-IUE EDWIN' LEIGH SCANES, OF ASHTON-UPGN-IVIERSEY, AND KARL BAUMANN, OF URMSTON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR MEASUR-ING OR INDIGATING THE EFFICIENCY OF STEAM- CONDENSERS.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.. 23, MM5.

Application filed November 24, 1914. Serial No. 873,718.

To all 107mm t may concern Be it known that we, ARTI-run EDWIN Linen SCANES, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Ashtonupon-Mersey, in the county of Chester', England, and KARL BAUMANN, a citizen of the Confederation of Switzerland, and a resident of Urmston, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Measuring or Indicating the Efficiency of Steam-Condensers, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to apparatus for measuring or indicating the eiiiciency of steam condensers and has for its object to provide improved apparatus of this character.

ln order to ascertain the eliiciencv of a steam condenser the temperatures existing at certain points in the condenser may be taken and compared. For example the following temperatures may be advantageously ascertained, the inlet temperature of the cooling water (hereinafter called t1) the outlet temperature of the cooling water (hereinafter called 25,) the vacuum in the condenser 0r the steam temperature (hereinafter called t3) the temperature of the hot well (hereinafter called t4) and the air suction temperature (hereinafter called t5). The condenser will be working well if the difference between the steam inlet temperature and that of the water outlet (ttg) is small, for example in the neighborhood of 10O Fahrenheit. 1Under ordinary circumstances the difference between these temperatures (t3-t2) should be approximately the same notwithstanding variations in the temperature of the cooling water used and this difference of temperature therefore may be taken as a measure of the efliciency of a condenser under varying conditions.

Although the efliciency of a steam condenser may be ascertained in the way just described this method has not been adopted owing to the fact that it isA necessary to measure the temperatures at different points in the condenserl some of which are very difficult to get at. If, however, the temperatures at various points in the condenser, such for instance as those indicated above, could all be read at the same time it would be possible not only to readily ascertain whether the condenser was working eiciently but also in the contrary case to detect the cause of low vacuum which might be due to lack of lcirculating water, dirty condenser tubes, air leakage, an inefficient air pump, or some other cause.

According to this invention thermometers are used for measuring the temperatures at selected points in the condenser which thermometers are arranged in proximity to one another so that they can be read at a glance, the temperatures existing at the selected points being' communicated to the thermometers by suitable means such as water jackets, or the like, connected with the aforesaid points in the condenser.

In order that the nature of the invention may be clearly understood the same will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which indicate diagrammatically, by way of example, several forms in which the invention may be carried into effect.

In the drawings Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing one form of the invention, and F ig. 2 a similar view illustrating a modification. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view and Fig. A a plan illustrating a further modification of the invention in which thermometers of a type different from those shown in Figs. l and 2 are employed.

Referring now te Fig. l, a plurality of thermometers, in this'case live, is mounted on a suitable base or support 6. The thermometers reading from left to right will be hereinafter referred to as T1, T2, T3, T, and T5, and are respectively adapted to measure the temperatures hereinabove referred to by the lower case letter t in connection with the same numerals. The bulbs 7, 7 of the thermometers are surrounded by water jackets 8, 8 having inlets 9, 9 and Outlets 10, l0 The jacket 8 of the thermometer T1 isconnected to the inlet for the cooling water for the condenser while the jacket for the thermometer T2 is so connected with the condenser that some of the discharged cooling water may flow through said jacket. The jacket for the thermometer T4 is connected with the hot well so that the condensed steam may flow through this jacket. The jackets corresponding to the thermometers T3 and T5 are connected toV coils located in the vacuum space and at the which they are respectively connected. In-

this Vway the temperature t3 of the steam and the temperature t5 ot the mixture of air and vapor at the air discharge to the air .pump t5'inay be communicated to the thermometers T3 and T5. Instead of using water 4jackets the thermometers may be provided with long capillary tubes, in which case the expansion bulbs containing mercury or other liquid will be located at the appropriate places in the condenser. A further method olf communicating the temperature t3 is to by-pass steam trom the condenser through a pipe to a jacket surrounding the thermometer T3 or the latter may be inserted into the by-pass' steam pipe. Then such a construction isfemployed, the jacket 8 of the thermometer T3 may be connected to anopen pipe or passage which communicates with the interior of the condenser at a region of' relatively high pressure, and the outlet port 10 of the jacket may be connected to aregion within the condenser oi relatively low pressure, as for example, near the air oiitakeport.` The thermometers are preierably Varranged in the order T1, T2, T3, T4,

Tp In this way a natural arrangement isYV obtained indicating the transmission o1'I heat Jtrom the steam into the water. The water inlet temperature t1 is` increased to the temperature t2 of the outilowing cooling water which is below the steam temperature 253,

- which is the maximum temperature' in the condenser. The steamA itself is condensed andthe water iiows out at a temperature t, which is below the temperature t3, the air mixture being further cooled to a ltemperature t5 which 'when the condenser is working satisfactorily will be somewhat below the temperature t4. It is not, however, es-

'K sential that the thermometers should be arranged in 'this order. `For example they may be arranged in theorder rIf1,-T,T4, T2 and the` thermometer T.; omitted altogether.

l UnderV ordinary conditions the readings on Y the 'several' thermometers indicate points on characteristic curves, the curves varying depending on whether the condenser is working at full or partial load. For no-load all temperatures are the same, that is to say are equal to the temperature of the inlet water. In this way the eiiiciency ot the condenser can be ascertained when working at any load. yThese curves are predetermined vand if necessary calibrated for each appa- Vratus and if the readings vary from the standard curves so ascertained anrindication is aiforded that the condenser is not working under the most satisfactory conditions.

Vat the same time, that is to say reads above the curve corresponding to the load on the condenser it would indicate a. shortage ot cooling water, or, if the thermometer indicating temperature t5 reads too high it would indicate that the condenser is dirty, while on the contrary it' this temperature were too low it would indicate excessive air leakage or a decrease in air pump capacity. It desired an additional thermometer may be elnployed located in proximity to the others i'or measuring the temperature of the air pump sealing water. By air pump sealing water we mean the water employed for sealing the valves of the air pump, in case a reciprocating pump is employed. The above mentioned characteristic curves are conveniently inscribed on a card or plate 11, supported from the base 6 and located behind the thermoineters so that any indication given by one or more of the latter which varies troni that shown on the curve may be readily observed.V In order to simplify the use of the apparatus the card or plate on. which said curves are inscribed is preferably adj ustably supported by means such as the screw l2 so that its position may be adjusted to correspond with variations in the inlet temperature of the cooling'water. It the position of the card or plate 1l is adjusted by means of the screw 12 so that the level ot the inercury in the thermometer T1 corresponds with the appropriate curve (full load, half load, etc., as the case may be) the level ot the mercury in the remaining thermometers T2, T3, T4, T5 should also fall on said curve. It this does not occur it will indicate that the condenser is not working elliciently and the cause of the ineHicient operation may be ascertained by observing which oi2 the thermoineter readings does not correspond with the curve as hereinabove described.

In Fig. 2 a modification is indicated in which the thermometer T5 is omitted and in place of the thermometer T 3 an absolute pressure gage of a suitable kind is substituted. A suitable form ot such a gage is one consisting of a 'U-tube having one end sealed and exhausted of air and containing mercury. An improved form ot gage ot this kind is described in the application tor British Patent No. 8170 tiled 7th April 1913 by A. E. L. Scanes, one of the present applicants. When this form oi the apparatus is used it is convenientv to arrange that the bores of the capillary tubes of the thermometers and of the indicating tube of the absolute pressure gage are approximately equal so that with a normal range of tem-` peratures under Working conditions the reading' in the gage tube of the pressure gage will form a convenient characteristic curve With the thermometer readings. Tn Fig. 2 the thermometers T1, T2, T2 are indicated as having Water jackets 8, 8 inlets 9, 9 and outlets 10, 10 connected up as in Fig. 1. P,= indicates the absolute pressure gage which is substituted for the thermometer T22, the open end 13 oi the down tube of this gage being connected to the vacuum space of the condenser. It ivillv be noticed that the thermometers are arranged in a dif-` ferent order from that Ashown in Fig. 1 and this changes somewhat the shape of the charracteristic curve. The instrument is, hoW- ever, used in the same Way as that described in connection With Fig.

For the sake of simplicity, in Figs. 1 and 2 only two characteristic curves have been shown on the plate 11 but it will generally be found convenient to inscribe several curves on this plate corresponding VWith various loads on the condenser.

Figs. 3 and 4 indicate diagrammatically hov7 the invention may be carried into effect with thermometers of a suitableV type other than the type above described, for example,

i the Well known Fournier thermometer, in

which suitable volatile liquids inclosed in receivers which may be located at the selected points in the condenser, the vapor pressures generated in such receivers operating pressure gages in the form of Bourdon tubes. 1n the present instance the Bourdon tubes are indicated at BV T1, B T2, B T3, B T4, the tubes and the liquid containing receivers in the condenser being connected by means of the pipes 14. The indicating arms or pointers 15, 15 are connected with the tubes and at one end oscillate about a fixed axis 16, in this case a rod or Wire attached to the base 6. Each of the arms or pointers is provided at its other end with a disk 17 on which a suitable legend may be inscribed. As indicated in Fig. athe legends attached to the disks in the example illustrated are as follows 1-On the disk attached to the thermometer B Tl the Word Good on the disk of the thermometer' B T2 the word Water on the disk of the thermometer B T2 the Word Dirt, and on the M disk of the thermometer B T3 the Word Air, the thermometers being preferably ar 1anged in the order B T1, B T2, B T2, B T2, reading from front to back.

To prepare the above described instrument for use the thermometers B T1, B T2, etc., and their pointers 15, 15 and disks 17 should be so calibrated that the disks 17 lie all in the same horizontal plane When the thermometers are reading the normal differences of temperature which occur With the condenser Working efficiently. To make the operation and use of the instrument quite clear the following temperatures may be taken as an example of the differences existing at the selected points of a condenser working e'liiciently, the readings being on the Fahrenheit scale zil: GO 2: 92 3:1015 t2: 92

l 70 t2 (should) :102 lf3 :111. 5 ,2 :i102

The result Will be that the disks still all lie in substantially the same plane and are obscured by the front one attached to thermometer B T1. 1f, however, for example the temperatures should be as t'olloivs the disk attached to the thermometer B T3 would rise showing the Word Air and indicating that there was an excess of air in the condenser due to leakage, or a faulty air pump, or some other cause. Again, it the temperatures should be the disks attached to thermometers B T2 and B T2 would rise but as B T2 is in front it would obscure B T3 and the Word c"Wateim would therefore become visible indicating that more Water is required to again bring down the temperature to 101.5.

l To take one more example, assume that the temperatures Were as follows:-

the disks B T3 and B T l Would both rise, but as the disk attached to thermometer B T4 is in front of that attached to thermometer B T3 it would obscure lthe latter and the Word Dirt would appear thus showing that the condenser tubes were dirty.: and needed cleaning. p y

In the above example the thermometerin dieating the temperaturel t5 has been omitted as this is not needed and only. tends to complicate this form of the apparatus unnecessai-ily.

While We have described several modifications of our invention, it Will be apparent to those skilled Vin the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the apparatus illustrated Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set Aforth by the appended claims.

What We claim is: s

l. An apparatus of theA character defscribed, comprising a plurality of devices,

A.each for indicating variations of conditions at diiierent portions of a condenser, separate Ameans communicating With each device and with the interior of the condensers, and a .movable chart cooperating with said devices 'for indicating` in conjunction With said devices variations rom normal operating conditions of the condenser.

2. An apparatus for measuring or indieating the e'liiciency of a steam condenser, comprising a plurality of thermometers arranged in proximity one to the other, a 30 separate passage for placing one thermometer in communication with the cooling Water inlet of the condenser, a separate passage for placinganother of the thermometers in communication with the cooling Water discharge ot' the condenser, a separate passage for placing another of said thermometers in communication with the interior of the condenser and for delivering steam from the condenser to the thermometer, and a separate passage for delivering` a portion of the Water of condensation leaving the condenser to still another of said thermometers, said thermometers being so located With relation to each other that they indicate a deviation from normal operating conditions of the condensers.

in testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names this 23rd day of October, 1914.

ARTHUR EDWIN LEIGH SCANES. `Witnessesz J As. STEWART BnoADroo'r, MARGARET S. MAYOR.

KARL BAUMANN. Wlitnesses A. S. CocHERvAiLLn, W. T. SKERTEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

